Bite the Bullet
by AmyVS7
Summary: Matt plucks up the courage to confess how he feels about Alesha, will he get the response he hopes for? One shot. Unrequited.


Law & Order UK fic

Pairing: Mattesha...ish

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Set during Series 5 - there are no spoilers

Summary: Matt plucks up the courage to confess how he feels about Alesha, will he get the response he hopes for? One shot. Unrequited.

A/N: I wrote this years ago but recently found this again on my computer, thought i'd upload it for any Mattesha fans still about somewhere. Although you may not be entirely happy with the eventual direction of this fic. Just wanted to put a different spin on things. I hope you enjoy!

 **Bite the Bullet**

Alesha Phillips walked through the corridors of the CPS building, she was wearing her smartest suit and a takeaway cup of strong coffee was in her hand as she walked into her office. Jake had yet to arrive, noted by the absence of his coat on the coat rack. Ten minutes later the man himself appeared holding something she had not expected.

"Morning. What's with the flowers?" Alesha frowned, as she saw Jake walk through the door holding a bouquet of a dozen red roses.

"Morning Alesha. I bumped into the florist delivery woman downstairs, they are for you" he handed them to his colleague, a bright grin on his face.

Alesha looked stunned. "For me?" she took them off Jake "Why would I be getting flowers?"

"It's Valentine's Day; looks like you've got a secret admirer."

Alesha looked at Jake, at first with surprise having forgotten it was Valentine's Day; but then she quickly frowned "They're not ... from you, are they?"

Jake gave a credulous laugh "No, no course not. I promise you they aren't from me."

Alesha was baffled, as she searched for a card "Then who?" But she did not find one.

"That's the point of a secret admirer" Jake told her, as he took his coat off "They are supposed to be secret."

Alesha looked down at her beautiful bouquet of roses, smelling them. She smiled to herself. She was very flattered, but also slightly annoyed at not knowing who had sent them. But she was determined to find out.

...

It was the middle of the afternoon that day. Ronnie and Matt turned up both holding big boxes in their arms, full of files and folders.

"Afternoon you two" Ronnie greeted, dumping one of the boxes by Jake's desk, Matt doing the same.

"You alright, guys?" Jake asked, getting up from his desk "Need any help with those?"

"Yeah if you wouldn't mind Jake, that'd be great. There's only a couple more, so Matty, you get the coffees while we bring the rest up?" Ronnie told his younger partner.

"Sure, no problem" Matt replied as Ronnie and Jake headed out, Alesha went over to the first box to take the files out, whilst Matt glanced at the flowers that were now in a vase on Alesha's desk.

"I see you got the roses then?"

Those seven words stopped Alesha in her tracks; she looked up at Matt with surprise.

" _You_ sent me them?"

Matt replied, sheepishly "Yeah ..." he scratched his chin "See the thing is, Lesh ... I ... oh how do you say this..." he looked very nervous "I was wondering, as its Valentine's Day, do you fancy going..."

Alesha interrupted him, quickly catching on to where this was heading.

"Oh ... Matt, sorry, can I stop you right there." She came closer to him, and said regretfully "Sorry, Matt, I'm _really_ flattered..."

Matt groaned, slightly turning away from her "Oh I knew it!"

"Matt" Alesha tried to say, apologetically.

"No, no, Alesha it's fine. Really. I'm sorry, I just, I wanted you to know..."

"I know" Alesha felt so incredibly guilty, and embarrassed. "Matt; you're a really great guy. And you're a really good friend. But, I just don't think of you...y'know in _that_ way. I'm sorry. I really am."

"Hey, Lesh it's fine. Honestly, really." Matt felt very awkward around her now "I just... I hope this doesn't affect our friendship and with us working together and all that?"

"Don't worry Matt. I'll pretend like it never happened" Alesha informed Matt, who felt like his heart was breaking apart, but he tried to conceal this from her.

Alesha looked back at her flowers, touching one of the rose's soft petals before looking sweetly back at the man who had sent them.

"They are beautiful roses though, Matt. Thank-you for sending them."

"You're welcome" Matt put a small smile back on his face.

Matt and Alesha were now standing awkwardly in the office, not really knowing what to do now or what to say to eachother. Matt scratched his head again; he wanted nothing more than to run from the situation.

"Right, well, I uhh...I need to get us coffee, don't I? Right, yes." Matt headed for the door, but Alesha stopped him.

"Matt, I really _am_ sorry."

Matt could feel the emotion bubbling up inside him, but he fought with every ounce of his being to suppress his feelings and he could barely look her in the eyes as he spoke to her.

"Alesha... Please, just don't. I know okay, I just...I can't be here right now."

Matt rushed out of the door, hurrying past Ronnie and Jake who had just arrived back with more boxes.

"Matt, where are you going?!" Ronnie called after him.

Jake and Ronnie turned to look at Alesha, who was looking ashamed.

"Alesha, what's happened?" Jake wondered, as he put the box down.

"Let's put it this way, I now know who sent me the roses."

...

Matt left the CPS building and drove around trying to get his head straight. He returned back to work within the hour, Ronnie had made his way back to the station and was sitting there waiting for him.

"And where the heck have you been?" Ronnie asked, getting up from his desk chair.

"Sorry Ron, I needed some air."

Ronnie could tell Matt wasn't himself, he looked so downtrodden.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah...yeah I'm fine."

Ronnie sensitively asked "Matt... I know about the flowers."

Matt gave a sigh "I made an idiot of myself, Ron" he gave a shaky laugh "Dunno what I was thinking, how could a girl like that _ever_ want to go out with someone like me?"

"Hey, hey, don't talk about yourself like that" Ronnie stressed "We've all gone out on a limb in the past and got a fair few knock backs, what makes Alesha so different?"

"Because it's her!" Matt said, emphasising its importance "Ron...I've ruined everything."

"Matty, come here" he gave him a brief hug "It will all blow over soon."

"You reckon, do you?" Matt sighed "Because I don't."

...

Alesha was sat at her desk, she had not done any work for half an hour as she sat and stared at her beautiful bouquet of roses. Contemplating what had happened earlier.

"Alesha?" Jake came over and sat on the corner of her desk "Earth to Alesha!" he waved his hand in front of her face.

Alesha looked up at Jake, coming back to reality. "Oh god, what am I going to do, Jake?"

"Well some work would be nice" he said with a smile.

"No not about that!" Alesha sounded stressed out, pushing her hair out of her face.

"How d'ya mean?" Jake wondered.

"About Matt. I hate to think how he's feeling."

"He'll get over it, Alesha. You didn't do anything wrong."

Alesha sighed "Still doesn't stop me feeling bad about it though."

...

It had been a few weeks since Valentine's Day, and Matt and Alesha had managed to avoid seeing eachother since then. If a member of the CPS was needed at the station then Alesha had forced Jake to go, likewise if the police were needed at the CPS it was down to Ronnie to head over. However, there was no way they could continue like this, the rest of the team were beginning to get tired of their youngest team members evading eachother and felt it had to be resolved.

"Alesha, Natalie just phoned" Jake told her as she came back into the office "She needs you over there as soon as possible."

"Jake, I can't" Alesha tried to tell him.

"Yes you can, I'm too busy right now so you're going" Jake told her, handing her her coat "Now go."

Alesha sighed and collected her things and headed over to the police station.

...

"Hi Alesha, long time no see" Natalie greeted her with a smile, as Alesha came into the room where the screens were situated, looking at the interview rooms. Ronnie and Matt were interviewing their latest suspect.

The two women observed the interview that was taking place, when Ronnie and Matt were finished they left the room and were met outside by Natalie and Alesha. Matt clocked that Alesha was there and instantly blushed.

"Hi."

"Hi" Alesha said, sheepishly "You alright?"

"Yeah" Matt said, quietly "You?"

"Yeah."

The tension could be cut with a breadknife.

"So what do we reckon?" Natalie asked the boys.

"Oh there's no question, Gov" said Ronnie "He's guilty. I mean all that ..."

It was as if Ronnie and Natalie's conversation was droned out as Matt looked at Alesha, who was trying to listen to the conversation but her eyes kept flicking back to look at Matt. He gave her a small smile. Alesha returned it.

"So what do you reckon, Alesha?" Ronnie asked "Have we got enough to charge him?"

Alesha nodded, coming back to the matter at hand. "Oh yeah, from what I heard in there ... it's like he's served it to us on the plate. Go ahead."

"Brilliant, thanks love" Ronnie went back into the interview room, Natalie followed suit.

Matt and Alesha were left out in the corridor. It took seconds for Matt to say something, sure he had been hurt by Alesha's rejection, but he wanted more than anything for them to still remain friends. Plus they had no choice but to get on with it, after all they worked together and they couldn't let their feelings and emotions get in the way of their work.

"I'm sorry" Matt said, quietly "Alesha, I'm so sorry."

"No, _I'm_ sorry" Alesha insisted "It's all my fault."

"No it's my fault. But honestly, I'm fine now." He gave a hopeful smile "Are we okay, Alesha?"

Alesha grinned "Yeah we're okay."

"Good" Matt smiled "I mean Jake is a great guy, but we long for your lovely self coming to visit us to brighten our day."

"Oh I've missed this" Alesha laughed "Come here."

They hugged eachother tightly, just as Natalie and Ronnie came out of the interview room.

"Aw you've made up!" Natalie smiled.

Alesha and Matt grinned, breaking apart.

"Well thank god for that" Ronnie proclaimed "We've missed you around here, Alesha." Ronnie grinned as a thought came to him "Right Mattie my boy, I think it's your turn to get the coffees!"

"Oh isn't it always?!" Matt proclaimed, causing a laugh from the, once again, united team.

...

Thanks for reading :) xxx


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